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Saturday, September 26, 2009

One reason is that, upon the good counsel of my friends Jackie and Rachel, I've adopted a "No Kill" policy on literature.

That means we will absolutely not over-analyze a text until the kids can't wait to be finished with it forever.

I love the policy -- I can't believe it took me so long to articulate it, when in theory I've held it all along -- but sometimes it is hard. For instance, if I think the kids haven't properly appreciated a beautiful passage or perhaps they've inferred the "wrong" theme of a poem.

"Yeah," Rachel sympathized, "You have to relinquish control of the text."

So, there you go.

Also, it's the BEST YEAR EVER because many of us English teachers are interested in learning choreographed dances. Yes! AND we have a colleague who is both an English teacher and a choreographer. Double Yes!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

I can't even believe how much effort everything takes. The other day, when I was approaching the house with a baby on one hip, a laundry basket on the other, a backpack over my shoulder, a five-year-old running ahead; and then I proceeded to drop my keys, I actually said a little prayer:

I'm not asking for easy, I reminded the heavens, I'm just asking for manageable.

I think I'll have to cancel the PR contest for now. I can't even find the piece of paper where I wrote everyone's original picks. Also, last week's episode was deeply unsatisfying. Where is top American fashion designer Michael Kors? Where is NINAGARCIA? And I didn't like that winning suit, either.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Ok, it's been hard to remember all the contests with all the getting ready to sell the house, kids starting school, KC starting teaching and life and the rest.

Plus, as cool and edgy as it seems, it's actually kind of hard to run a contest on a blog.

SO. New idea. Everyone who would like to be in the REAL Top Chef Showdown, please email me at dwest09@gmail.com and I will set up a new contest. I'll send a reminder email every week and will keep better track of points.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Hi all - Dan here with a very quick Top Chef Showdown post. With the short holiday week, I almost forgot about tonight's episode - "Vivre Las Vegas:"

The contestants must tap into their traditional cooking skills when they're asked to show their mastery of French cuisine, and as if that's not stress enough tonight's judges are some of the biggest names in the industry: Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller, Joel Robuchon and Jean Joho.

Remember to get your picks in. I think there are TWO eliminations tonight - one during the Quickfire Challenge and another during the Elimination Challenge, so make picks for:

(1) Quickfire winner

(2) Quickfire loser

(3) Elimination Challenge winner

(4) Who will pack their knives and go

As always, the honor rule is in force - feel to get your picks in before you watch the show even if it has already aired.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Yesterday, my principal gave out t-shirts that say, "09-10: BEST YEAR EVER!"

So now it's official! All of the teachers will be wearing those shirts on the first day of school, so the kids can get the message loud and clear.

And I also hope you get this message loud and clear: for the PR contest, please post your WINNER GUESS for tonight's challenge. It appears to be a team challenge with all the requisite DRAMA. The designers meet Tim on a beach in the beginning. Then they work with a partner. Rachel Bilson is the guest judge.

Fave quote from the promo comes from Ra'Mon: "Ladies and gentlemen, W-T-F."

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Hi all,Dan here with your Top Chef Showdown reminder. Time to get your picks in for the show! Here is this season's arbitrary scoing:1. Pick one quickfire challenge winner (correct pick gets 2 points)2. Pick one elimination challenge winner (correct pick gets 4 points)3. Pick who will pack their knives and go (correct pick gets 3 points)4. SPECIAL BONUS POINTS: If the cheftestant you pick to pack his or her knives and go is in the bottom three, you get 1.5 points).

The winner of this season's Showdown will (eventually) get a (used) copy of Padma's cookbook: Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet.

Get your picks in for this week's episode - THUNDERBIRDS: The remaining contestants try to serve the 300 pilots and crew from the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron based at Nellis AFB with the same Pride, Precision and Professionalism on deck that the Thunderbirds show in the air. Guest judege: Mark Peel.

As always, we are on the honor system, so as long as you have not watched the show and did not see the results, you can enter your picks. Good luck!